The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harlan, and said to him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you.’ Then he left the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Harlan. After his father died, God had him move from there to this country in which you are now living. He did not give him any of it as a heritage, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as his possession and to his descendants after him, even though he had no child.

And God spoke in these terms, that his descendants would be resident aliens in a country belonging to others, who would enslave them and mistreat them during four hundred years. ‘But I will judge the Nation that they serve,’ said God, ”and after that they shall come out and worship Me in this place.’ Then he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. Acts 7:2-8

Stephen begins his sermon by showing great reverence for God and his respect for Moses. As the Israelites have shown faith and obedience to God, Stephen accentuates the places where God is worshiped. While Abraham’s father Terah was alive Abraham lived partly with him and partly in Canaan. While in Egypt, God did not give him land but he had to buy it. After the covenant was given to Abraham it was sealed with the circumcision of Isaac.

Abraham had to leave his father’s home because it had idol worship. Abraham waits in faith for God to give him land and children who will build a Nation of believers. Although many believed and some did not have faith, Abraham fully trusts God. Our Gospel of Matthew traces Jesus Christ’s genealogy back to Abraham and Luke’s Gospel traces His lineage back to Adam. Your heritage is Christ’s heritage because you are His. Jesus is the Messiah Savior to whom we are obedient as we place our faith, trust, and lives in Him.